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Genre - Family saga
Very good
---- Reviewed by Eileen, Guest
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
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Genre - Family saga
Very good
---- Reviewed by Eileen, Guest
Mercy by Jodi Picoult
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For me "Mercy" is not a great novel, it's not even a good novel, but what it lacks in pace it makes up for in characterisation. The novel centres on a mercy killing. It delves into the legal and human processes that follow. It explores a set of characters affected by this killing and how they struggle to make meaning from their own lives.
The strengths of "Mercy" are that it captures the essence of life in a small town, the complications of law versus emotion and unpicks the nature of "love" as we know it. Characters to note are: Allie, a florist trapped in an unrequited marriage; Cam, her husband, who dreams of escaping his family legacy; and Mia, a world traveller whose knack for bonsai-growing and whose fierce independence creates an intricacy and intrigue which helps to save the waning pace of the novel. I would classify 'Mercy' as a legal romance with a touch of mystery and family saga. Read it if you liked "The Deep End of the Ocean" or "A Map of the World".
---- Reviewed by Anne, Guest
Broken by Ilsa Evans
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Genre - Family saga
This book will certainly open anyone's eyes to the true reality of domestic violence.It may be about someone who is ficticious but the patterns, the decisions, the actions are all very real.Mattie is but one of many who have had to deal with the realities and the scars both physical and mental of Domestic violence.A book everyone should read.
---- Reviewed by Melissa, Guest
The Spare Room by Helen Garner
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Helen Garner’s first novel in 15 years is a moving, funny account of a woman dying of cancer and her friend, who tries to help her. The novel begins as Helen gets her spare room ready for Nicola, who is coming down from Sydney for three weeks to undergo an alternative treatment in the hope that it will cure her cancer. Helen’s skepticism about this radical treatment which leaves Nicola exhausted and in pain, is contrasted with Nicola’s determined optimism. Helen feels inadequate to cope with Nicola’s pain and helpless in the face of Nicola’s refusal to accept that she is dying. One of Helen’s friends describes the situation when he says, “Maybe she wants you to be the one… The one to tell her she’s going to die.” There’s a lot of humour in the novel and, as always in Garner’s work, beautiful descriptions of domestic life. This book is an emotional journey which raises questions about love, friendship and honesty.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
Helen Garner’s first novel in 15 years is a moving, funny account of a woman dying of cancer and her friend, who tries to help her. The novel begins as Helen gets her spare room ready for Nicola, who is coming down from Sydney for three weeks to undergo an alternative treatment in the hope that it will cure her cancer. Helen’s skepticism about this radical treatment which leaves Nicola exhausted and in pain, is contrasted with Nicola’s determined optimism. Helen feels inadequate to cope with Nicola’s pain and helpless in the face of Nicola’s refusal to accept that she is dying. One of Helen’s friends describes the situation when he says, “Maybe she wants you to be the one… The one to tell her she’s going to die.” There’s a lot of humour in the novel and, as always in Garner’s work, beautiful descriptions of domestic life. This book is an emotional journey which raises questions about love, friendship and honesty.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards
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Genre - Mystery
Lecherous landscape gardener Warren Howe was murdered. Cut to pieces with a scythe and his body dumped in the trench he was digging in a client’s backyard. There was no shortage of suspects among his many conquests and their unhappy husbands, but no one is charged with the crime. Now, the cold case team led by DCI Hannah Scarlett, receives an anonymous letter accusing Howe’s wife Tina of the murder, and they reinvestigate. Cold case investigations stir up all kinds of memories and fears, and this one is no exception, especially when Nick Lowther, Hannah’s Sergeant, who was on the original investigating team, seems to be involved with one of the prime suspects. Hannah’s friendship with Daniel Kind, the son of her old boss and mentor, is also becoming more important to her, and Daniel becomes involved in the murder investigation as he researches the history of his garden at Tarn Cottage and the hidden message in its design. This is a fantastic follow up to The Coffin Trail, the first in this series. Hannah and Daniel are increasingly drawn to each other, and their relationship is the emotional core of the book. The investigation is full of surprises and the Lake District - including a visit to Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm – is a lovely setting for murder and mayhem.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
Read more reviews at NoveList
Genre - Mystery
Lecherous landscape gardener Warren Howe was murdered. Cut to pieces with a scythe and his body dumped in the trench he was digging in a client’s backyard. There was no shortage of suspects among his many conquests and their unhappy husbands, but no one is charged with the crime. Now, the cold case team led by DCI Hannah Scarlett, receives an anonymous letter accusing Howe’s wife Tina of the murder, and they reinvestigate. Cold case investigations stir up all kinds of memories and fears, and this one is no exception, especially when Nick Lowther, Hannah’s Sergeant, who was on the original investigating team, seems to be involved with one of the prime suspects. Hannah’s friendship with Daniel Kind, the son of her old boss and mentor, is also becoming more important to her, and Daniel becomes involved in the murder investigation as he researches the history of his garden at Tarn Cottage and the hidden message in its design. This is a fantastic follow up to The Coffin Trail, the first in this series. Hannah and Daniel are increasingly drawn to each other, and their relationship is the emotional core of the book. The investigation is full of surprises and the Lake District - including a visit to Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm – is a lovely setting for murder and mayhem.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
Friday, March 14, 2008
Hearts and minds by Rosy Thornton
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James Rycarte is the first man to be appointed as Head of St Radegund’s, a woman’s college at Cambridge. He not only has to cope with the chintzy furnishings in the Masters Lodging left behind by the retiring Dame Emily, but with the polite hostility of several members of the Senior Common Room. Martha Pearce has been Senior Tutor for 10 years and her term is coming to an end. Martha’s personal and professional life is at a crossroads but her commitment to the College is paramount. When a friend of James offers a substantial donation to the College with the unspoken proviso that his daughter will be admitted as a student, the battle lines between academic integrity and financial necessity (the library is sinking into the fens and needs urgent work) are drawn. This is a fascinating novel about academic politics, student unrest with lots of human interest and a budding romance or two as well.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
James Rycarte is the first man to be appointed as Head of St Radegund’s, a woman’s college at Cambridge. He not only has to cope with the chintzy furnishings in the Masters Lodging left behind by the retiring Dame Emily, but with the polite hostility of several members of the Senior Common Room. Martha Pearce has been Senior Tutor for 10 years and her term is coming to an end. Martha’s personal and professional life is at a crossroads but her commitment to the College is paramount. When a friend of James offers a substantial donation to the College with the unspoken proviso that his daughter will be admitted as a student, the battle lines between academic integrity and financial necessity (the library is sinking into the fens and needs urgent work) are drawn. This is a fascinating novel about academic politics, student unrest with lots of human interest and a budding romance or two as well.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
Resistance by Owen Sheers
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The women of a remote Welsh valley wake up one morning in 1944 and discover that their husbands have left their farms in the night. The German Army has invaded Britain and the men have been recruited for a guerilla resistance force to impede the enemy’s progress. A German patrol, led by Albrecht Wolfram, is sent to the valley by the SS to retrieve an ancient map hidden there. The soldiers are exhausted, and, when the tide of war moves on, and they are forgotten, they are content to wait for further instructions. Gradually, the women, led by Sarah Lewis and Maggie Jones, come to an accommodation with the Germans. They work together over a harsh winter to keep the farms going, and become wary friends. But the outside world must intrude and the idyll will end. This is a beautifully written first novel by a writer well-known for his poetry. The plot could have become a cliché, but Sheers avoids this, while creating a plausible picture of an alternative history of Europe.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
Read more reviews at NoveList
The women of a remote Welsh valley wake up one morning in 1944 and discover that their husbands have left their farms in the night. The German Army has invaded Britain and the men have been recruited for a guerilla resistance force to impede the enemy’s progress. A German patrol, led by Albrecht Wolfram, is sent to the valley by the SS to retrieve an ancient map hidden there. The soldiers are exhausted, and, when the tide of war moves on, and they are forgotten, they are content to wait for further instructions. Gradually, the women, led by Sarah Lewis and Maggie Jones, come to an accommodation with the Germans. They work together over a harsh winter to keep the farms going, and become wary friends. But the outside world must intrude and the idyll will end. This is a beautifully written first novel by a writer well-known for his poetry. The plot could have become a cliché, but Sheers avoids this, while creating a plausible picture of an alternative history of Europe.
---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters
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